Peter Raposo is a restoration carpenter and his wife is a laboratory scientist. Both love gardening; but as a result of their busy jobs, they just couldn’t find the time to maintain a conventional garden, and a traditional vertical garden just didn’t cut it for them.

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

The Herald News, Fall River, MA

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Posted Mar. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 9, 2013 at 9:22 AM

By Jeffrey D. Wagner

Posted Mar. 9, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 9, 2013 at 9:22 AM

TIVERTON

» Social News

Peter Raposo is a restoration carpenter and his wife is a laboratory scientist.

Both love gardening; but as a result of their busy jobs, they just couldn’t find the time to maintain a conventional garden, and a traditional vertical garden just didn’t cut it for them.

So, the couple put their heads together and raised the bar for gardening, by literally and figuratively thinking outside the standard gardening box. They developed and patented a gardening technique that is much easier, much more environmentally friendly and requires no weed pulling: Go Garden Green Planters.

These vertical-shape planters possess the convenience of vertical planters, but use more environmentally sound plastic that will not affect the soil or the groundwater.

“We started our research and development for our patent pending planters in December of 2011 after learning the concerns of so many people talking about the myriad different type of plastics and the chemicals of plastics leaching into the soil, into the plants and ultimately into you,” Raposo said on his website. “Our mission was simple: To provide any person who is interested in planter gardening, the safest product available with the highest standards in materials and craftsmanship at the very best price.”

During a phone interview, Raposo couldn’t say enough about this product, which helps reduce the carbon footprint, uses far less soil and provides more convenience for the gardener. In fact, one vertical planter only uses a single 14-pound bag of organic soil.

It also might even repel pests a bit. Raposo explained that people can keep these planters in areas closer to the home and further away from wild animals. To boot, it also keep weeds away. Raposo said last summer he and his wife planted more than 300 plants, yet pulled no weeds.

The plastics used are the same for baby bottles and drinking water bottles, and is the only planting system that is so heavily regulated. In fact, Raposo’s plastic is the only one regulated by the following organizations: American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International); National Sanitation Foundation (NSF International); Canadian Standards Association (CSA International); Underwriters Laboratories (UL International); Environmental Protection Agency (EPA USA); and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA US).

Raposo and his product will be featured at the upcoming Fall River Home & Garden Show. He said he hopes to attend the Newport garden show in June and a University of Rhode Island Professor has reached out to him for a lecture on vertical gardening.